Now that ALL the children are gone, the house is quiet,
organized, and most of all—clean! The
loneliness that sometimes ensues can be and is very unproductive. I have been working to fill my time with
various things that help to distract and lift me. But, there just seem to be times when the
emptiness makes my heart ache. And just
when I start into the slump, it is truly amazing how I am pulled out and pumped
up to get out in the world to make the slightest difference somewhere…somehow—and
usually the difference is made in my life.
This week has been a BIG week in reflecting…what could I
have done better? Could I have done more?
Could of…should of…would of…the what if’s—especially in regards to parenting
and Zach. I suppose the bottom line is,
we can always do better or more.
However, through all this reflecting, I have come to appreciate that it
is our relationships with others that matter most. What kind of relationship do I have with my
husband, with my parents, with my children, and with my siblings? And, yet, what kind of relationship would I
like—what would I do to improve them…?
Well, just when you think you have nothing to do, you take a
trip to St. Lucia, plan a wedding, work at the temple, read to Head Start
children, work with Special Needs peeps, walk 3.5 miles/day & swim 1 mile @
least 4 times/week.
Mark & I took a trip to St. Lucia which was the first
time ever we have taken a trip like that…ever!
It was wonderful! On our way home,
Mark’s vacation ended early when a man, who was sitting behind us, began to
have a heart attack. Mark was able to
stabilize him, while the pilots tried to find an airport that was big enough to
land our aircraft and that would be close to a hospital that could handle the emergency. I have to say that that was something
watching him in action. My heart was
just beaming inside and out!
We arrived home to have Rachel and Richard here. WOW!!!
Richard is just a fine young man and we are so grateful that these two found
each other. They are getting married on
June 22nd, but they are not engaged yet… and that is said with a
wink/wink to both of them! As I have
stressed over organizing and solidifying various things, I have been in awe at
how everything seems to be coming together—I am truly grateful for that!
Just the other night, I confess that I was having a bit of a pity party and went
to look for Zach’s life’s video on my computer (why I chose to do it that way
instead of just going to my Youtube account—I don’t know—but then I found my
reason why!) I found a file I had
downloaded almost a year ago from my children for Mother’s Day.
NOW, if my children read this next portion, I know that I
will be in a bit of trouble. For
Mother’s Day last year, they took the time to write 100 things about me. Quite honestly, I just could not celebrate
Mother’s Day last year and as a result—I never read through what they wrote
until today. I happened upon it by simply looking for Zach’s video. I believe I was meant to find this treasure. When I found
the file, I thought—I should probably read this. I know each of my children SO WELL &
husband—that I was able to discern who wrote what. I cried, I laughed, and cried and laughed
some more. I have been given the great
privilege of being the mother to some pretty incredible people. They are each very successful and I sometimes
look at them and think ”I gave birth to them!” Ha! At any rate, after reading what they wrote,
the meaningful purpose in life became even clearer—my family is what offers me
my meaningful purpose in life. I am so
grateful to my husband, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, and ALL my
“kissin’ cuzins’!” My family is who
brings me love, makes me laugh…and cry, brings me joy, and even gratification
for being a part of their lives.
So…if you are looking for your “meaningful purpose,” you
should try looking in your own backyard—as what you may be looking for is
really not hard to find at all.
If you want to read on further, you can read all the juicy
sweet stuff my family wrote to me on Mother’s Day—I find it interesting to see
how the kids seem to repeat a lot of things.
At the end, Chelsea happened to find a letter that Zach wrote to us
about how he felt and she included that—I smile as I remember reading his short
but sweet message.
100
Reasons Why You’re the Best Mom in the World
1. Most selfless person I know
2. Always put others first
3. Constantly thinking of how to
help others
4. Always there when needed
5. Best friend
6. Endless ball of fun
7. Unconditional love
8. Great example
9. Strong testimony
10. Fantastic cook
11. Dedicated to all you do
12. Big heart
13. Incredible Nana
14. Supportive
15. Generous
16. Gifted in so many ways, and
willing to share those gifts.
17. Can get along with anyone
18. Great teacher
19. You’ve shown what it means to be
a ‘rock,’ to support all around you emotionally
20. “The Giving Tree” (you never
stop giving)
21. Happy, even when you really want
to be sad
22. Life evolves around your family J
23. Know how to keep things “hip”
24. Loveable
25. Inspiring
26. You
gave birth to me
27. You
are an awesome example of hard work
28. You
somehow find a way to manage being a student, wife, mother, and grandmother
29. I
always know that you care about me
30. You
flew out to Philly to go house shopping with me
31. You
are good at convincing father to spare a little extra cash for us kids
32. You
make things fun
33. You
make me laugh
34. You
have a strong testimony and have been a great source of strength for all of us
35. You
go all out with whatever task you are assigned
36. You
have a lot of patience
37. You
know how to make people smile
38. You
are almost as good of a swimmer as me
39. You
qualify as one of those “cool moms”
40. My
friends would come over and want to talk to you more than me
41. Your
age has not aged you
17. You
love dad
42. You
always put others’ needs before your own
43. Your
cooking skills are unparalleled
44. You
are always willing to talk, even when you are busy
45. You
let me know often that you are proud of me
46. You
are a great example of someone that puts God first
47. Your
testimony is a strength to everyone
48. You
are not afraid to tell people how it is
49. I
owe much of who I am and how much I have accomplished to your example, love,
and DNA.
50. I love that you call me every
morning to make sure I’m awake for all of my classes.
51. I love that you never missed an
event for sports or music—you were and still are always involved in my life.
52. I love that you are my best
friend and that I can tell you everything and you will listen.
53. I love that you help me to see
the flip side of things and see the opinions other people have.
54. I love that you so willingly
serve in your church callings to the fullest and never miss a beat.
55. I love that you always keep a
positive outlook on life, even when it throws you curveballs you never could
have expected.
56. I love that you encourage me to
keep pushing ahead and moving forward even when I fear the outcome will not
change.
57. I love that you support me in
all of my ambitions and are my number one cheerleader in accomplishing my goals
in life.
58. I love that we talk at least 4
times a day for thirty minutes at a time.
59. I love
that you laugh at my awkward and embarrassing moments and help me to laugh
right along with you.
60. I love
that you are always willing to step in and offer a hug when I need one the
most.
61. I love when we sit in the pool
and read together then just talk about the things we are thinking about life in
general.
62. I love the way you love the Lord
and serve Him with all your heart—in the Temple, your callings, and in your service
to your friends and family.
63. I love your example to the youth
and other adults around you. You bless
their lives more than you could ever know.
64. I love when you laugh so hard
that you end up squealing and tears come pouring down your face—the
uncontrollable laughter is the best.
65. I love that you are a friend to
all of my friends and they feel comfortable enough to come over and just sit
and chat with you.
66. I love the dedication you have
to swimming every morning, even when the pool heater is broken. It makes me feel like I am left with no
excuse to miss exercising one day.
67. I love the way your testimony
shines in all that you do and through your face. The Spirit within you is beautiful and shines
for all to see.
68. I love your enthusiasm for life
and the way you can make any situation seem like it won’t be too hard for you
to handle.
69. I love that you will stay up
late with me until all hours of the night so that you can talk with me about
all of the drama going on in my life.
70. I love the way you speak with
such conviction in your voice that no one can doubt that what you speak is
truth and comes straight from your heart.
71. I love that you have the ability
to make everyone who comes in contact with you love you for the person that you
are. You never pretend to be someone you
are not to please someone else.
72. I love the way that you make me
feel like I am one of the most important people in the world simply by letting
me know how much you love me and sharing your life with me.
73. I love the way you support dad
in all he does and let him know how much you care about him. I love that you honor the covenants you have
made with one another and you never let anything or anyone come in between that.
74. Most of all, I love that you are
my mom. I love that you are always there
for me and make sure I know that. I love
that you always have hugs and love to offer all people. I love you because you are you.
75. She has shown our family the
meaning of love.
76.
She always puts the needs of her children and husband above her own.
77.
She spoils her children and her granddaughter(s).
78.
She is a hard worker.
79.
She puts her whole heart into callings and responsibilities.
80.
She gives great backrubs (when she wants to).
81.
She gives her all to see that her children succeed.
82.
She is very spiritual.
83.
She is very wise and intelligent.
84. She is a great example for her
family.
85. She is beautiful inside and out.
86. She is humble.
87.
She is kind to everyone.
88. She is very friendly and
outgoing.
89.
She drives a hot car.
90.
She has a strong testimony.
91.
She loves serving others and Heavenly Father.
92.
She has pretty toenails.
93.
She is full of faith.
94.
She loves to talk, and can talk with anyone.
95.
She has lots of shoes.
96.
She is full of charity.
97.
She is the glue that holds our family together.
98.
She keeps me on the right path.
99.
She is the best wife and mother our family could hope for.
100. PS…We love you!
Thank you for getting me a drum set
Thanks for taking me to Karate
Thanks for signing me up for school
clubs
Thanks for signing me up for golf
and taking me to golf
Thank you for reading to me
Taking me to church
Making me breakfast, lunch, and
dinner
Letting me have friends at our house
Letting me help with stuff
Listening to me
Giving me a cell phone
And most important, loving me.
Sincerely,
Zachary
